GarbageTalk: ACL Tears Are The Pits – How To Rehab Properly

Well, America – as you know, the preseason was marred by ACL tear after ACL tear, sidelining a number of players for the year. The list is long, as it is every year, though this year includes some notable fantasy players like Jordy Nelson and Kelvin Benjamin. Even star LB Kiko Alonso, who the Eagles traded Shady away for in the offseason, might have just torn his ACL this past weekend.

But why, you ask? Is there something in the water?

No America! It’s all about physics. Say what?

Yup. Let me explain.

So a long time ago I too tore my ACL (skiing) and had surgery to repair it. They took the inner third of my patellar tendon and made a new ACL with two screws. After surgery it was a long recovery to get to the point where I felt like I could trust my left knee again. Maybe like three years. I know, right? And many years later I still don’t have feeling in parts of my knee!

Anyway, during physical therapy I learned two things. First, and most importantly, that I was exercising all wrong pre-injury.

To get ready for sports, especially those with lateral movement, you need to make sure all of the muscles in your leg work together as a unit. Those machines that work one muscle at a time, like the leg extension machine are junk – unless you are interested in bodybuilding that is.

Second, I learned that your weight to muscle ratio plays an important role in performance. If you weigh too much, you ain’t going to be able to support it and your knees will take the beating.

So there you have it. Why all the injuries?

Improper training or too much weight. Which players drank too much beer in the offseason, gained weight and didn’t have enough muscle to support it? Which trained wrong? I’ll leave the guessing to you America.

But this brings me to an important message to the DJs out there who are getting paid to make running mixes. Please stop!

Or please start running to understand why your current mixes suck! Seriously. It’s hard enough to motivate to run or work out. The last thing I want is some 3-5 minute “warm up” that lacks any bass. I need the beat to drop low in the first 30 seconds.

I’ll warm up my body. Your job is to motivate me to keep moving.

I swear, the first time I tried to listen to a running mix put together by a DJ I was like, what the effe is this horse sh*t? I even picked a mix that was supposed to correspond to a 170-180 heart beat (which is also some horse sh*t).

Spotify, Apple – PLEASE don’t pay these guys anymore! Please. These guys, yes, are awesome at mixing beats for a 20-something year old crowd high on Molly, but for those of us who are soberly trying to return our bodies to that 20-year old form, we need a whole lot more! I’ll give you an example.

Sorry Tiesto. I usually love your stuff but I had high hopes for that “Burn” running mix you did for Spotify, but truthfully it blows chunks. As I started to listen to it, I felt like I was at home playing X-box in the middle of a racing game. Not haulin’ ass on the treadmill at a solid 10 min mile. Haha. I run faster than that. Just a lil d’o.

So, yeah – making quality running mixes is not easy. I’ve heard a Rock-My-Run mix once and did think it was decent, but I ain’t paying for someone to mix music for me when I can do that myself with Spotify Premium!

So without further ado, try this mix y’all and let me know what you think! Or don’t. Whatev!

1) Tiesto – Split (Only you) – I know what I said. But if he started a running mix like this it would be HOT.

2) Far East Movement – the Illest

3) Bingo Players – Get Up (Rattle) – cause I like to think about partyin’ while I run

4) Pitball – Piensas – ’cause every run needs some Latin musak

5) Gente de Zona – La Goazadera

5) Robbie Rivera – La Gente – transitioning out of Latin into the height of your run

6) The Chainsmokers – Good Intentions – when the beat kicks in you will feel the euphoria of a runners high overtake you. You won’t be running anymore. You’ll be flyin. Crank that speed up!!!!

7) Eric Turner – Dancing in my head – slow down the pace a bit and run some intervals or hills – kick it up when you hear “keep on dancin'”

8) Bob Sinclair – Summer Moonlight

9) Austin Mahone – Mmm Yeah – that’s right. Feel good with this one.

10) Walk the Moon – Work this body – you should feel pretty good about it now. Slow it down to a jog and enjoy the lightness you feel from a good run. Cool down.

So there you have it. Sick of listening to all the top 100 pop hits, ie Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Kanye, when you run? Want to run with some flavor and shake up your running mix? Download my mix and give it a whirl. If you have Spotify you are good to go!

And remember, when you’re in the gym, concentrate on squats, lunges, dead lifts … all those functional exercises (feel free to add weight, or go isometric by holding the position, or make them jumping to kick up the cardio) … instead of isolating muscles.